Social Security, a Super Hero to Many Americans
mayra salazar
Published: May 26, 2016
Summer movie season is about to start, and that means your favorite blockbuster heroes are about to do battle. Captain America is back to defend the country. The X-Men are joining forces to stop an impending apocalypse. And there will be another Independence Day movie, where the world narrowly escapes total annihilation — again!
In a lot of ways, Social Security is a super hero to millions of Americans. Like Captain America, we come to the rescue when disability strikes. One in four of today's 20-year-olds will become disabled before they retire. You can learn more about people with disabilities and how we help them at www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityfacts.
You might not have been born with uncanny superpowers like the X-Men, but you were born with the right to earn retirement and disability benefits. Social Security is a lifeline for most retirees, keeping tens of millions out of poverty. Fifty-one percent of the workforce has no private pension coverage. Thirty-four percent of the workforce has no savings set aside specifically for retirement. You can learn more about the benefits you might be entitled to and about retiring online at www.socialsecurity.gov/retire.
You can also have your own Independence Day when you sign up for my Social Security. Go it alone with a personal, secure, my Social Security account. Use it to:
- Keep track of your earnings and verify them every year;
- Apply for a replacement Social Security card in certain areas;
- Get an estimate of your future benefits, if you are still working;
- Get a letter with proof of your benefits, if you currently receive them; and
- Manage your benefits:
- Change your address;
- Start or change your direct deposit;
- Request a replacement Medicare card; and
- Get a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA-1042S for tax season.
You’ll feel like you have superhuman powers when you do any of these things online at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
Now you know how you can create a blockbuster retirement with our many online services. You don’t even need a Bat-computer; any computer will do. Visit our not-so-secret headquarters at www.socialsecurity.gov.